OK, so I’m going to go all low-tech on you, but in my house, the holidays are a time for games. No, not video games (though we are quite the Wii fans), but board games.

Aside from one memorable Christmas Eve where my mom had me in tears over a fiercely competitive round of Monopoly (in fairness to my wonderful mother, she did warn us that Monopoly does NOT bring out her best side). But instead, here are the top 5 games that, at least usually, end in cheers instead of tears.

1. Apples to Apples: This is a pretty new addition to our game cabinet. It lets family members show off their strange and wonderful minds.
2. Catchphrase: It’s impossible to have a bad time while playing this fast-paced, raucous game. We’re so competitive, we all secretly want my sister’s Italian boyfriend to be on the other team (he speaks wonderful English, but this game moves really fast! Love ya, Nic!)
3. Pit: Not a lot of people have heard about this game, which is a spin on the stock market (OK, it’s way more fun than it sounds). But this game is not for the shy, reserved types. There’s shouting and snatching and wild gesticulating! We had some family friends over to play once, and my family destroyed them with our loud, aggressive ways.
4. Yahtzee: Does anything beat the feeling of scoring 5 of the same number with just a roll of the dice? My fam loves to shake, rattle and roll.
5. Uno and Gin Rummy: I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent with my brother and sister, sitting in front of some animated classic movie (my bro loves Iron Giant, my sis and I are more Disney purists), playing gin rummy with our dogs lying all around us. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Surely some of you out there love board games too. Any faves? I’d love to hear some of your stories!

Memories! A song can totally take me back to a specific moment in time.Hard work. I'm in the band at school, so I have to keep my skills sharp. Chilling. I pop my headphones in and all my stress melts away. Getting pumped. The right music really gets me ready for a big game.